Video: Airborne laser weapon sails through tests

From: Andrew Johnson

Date: 2009-03-02 08:31:05

www.newscientist.com… Video: Airborne laser weapon sails through tests 18:12 26 February 2009 by Sandrine Ceurstemont For similar stories, visit the Weapons Technology Topic Guide Video: A large laser mounted to a passenger jet is undergoing tests in the US The Pentagon may soon have a new anti-missile weapon – a high-powered laser fired from the nose of a large jet plane to destroy missiles soon after they leave the ground. The latest video footage from the project reveals the results from a round of testing that ended in December 2008 (see our story on the tests). A prototype mounted in a plane on the ground fired infrared laser beams at a target in 1 second bursts. The system has left the ground too, in trials 16 months ago, that proved the weapon could track a simulated missile well enough to reliably deploy the powerful beam if required. The project involves defence companies Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grunman, as well as US forces engineers, and the first airborne firing of the main laser is scheduled for August 2009. However, the project’s future funding is not assured beyond that point. The new Obama administration is yet to decide whether to continue developing the weapon beyond 2009. If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to. Are you interested in what’s really going on in the world, behind the facade? Then…www.checktheevidence… happened on 9/11?www.drjudywood.com/    

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